Below are some general resources about cohousing, other Oregon cohousing communities, and consensus decision-making for anyone interested in learning more about cohousing.

Publications:

Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities by Diana Leafe Christian. An excellent source for community stories and recommendations about what works and does not work when building community. Check it out from the Multnomah County Library.

Creating Cohousing - Building Sustainable Communitiesby Kathryn McCamant & Charles DurrettA man's home is his castle. But demographic and economic changes haveturned our castles into islands. How can we regain the elements of the traditional village – family, cooperation, community and a sense of belonging – within the context of 21st century life?

Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities is an in-depth exploration of a uniquely rewarding type of housing which is perfect for anyone who values their independence but longs for more connection with those around them. Written by the award-winning team that wrote the original "cohousing bible" and first brought cohousing to North America, this fully-illustrated manual combines nuts-and-bolts practical considerations and design ideas with extensive case studies of dozens of diverse communities in Europe and North America.

Cohousing communities create unique opportunities for designing more sustainable lifestyles. Whether urban, suburban or rural; senior or intergenerational; retrofit or new, the authors show how the physical structures of cohousing communities lend themselves to a more efficient use of resources, and make everything from gardening to childcare to socializing easier.

Creating Cohousing puts the "neighbor" back into "neighborhood"; and is an essential resource for anyone interested in more environmentally and socially sustainable living.

The Cohousing Handbook: Building a Place for Community by Chris and Kelly ScottHanson, revised edition. A nuts and bolts guide to developing your community. Check it out from the Multnomah County Library.

Reinventing Community: Stories from the Walkways of Cohousing edited by David Wann. Enjoyable stories. Gives a good feel for cohousing life.

On Conflict and Consensus: A Handbook on Formal Consensus Decisionmaking by C.T. Butler and Amy Rothstein. A guide to the consensus process. View/Download handbook

Here is a link to a map and list of Cohousing and Pocket Neighborhoods in our area: